The Responsibility of Love
by illusiondistortion
Summary: Lily Evans takes things seriously. As a seventh year student at Hogwarts, she holds a leadership position, earns high marks in all academic courses, and prepares for her post-graduate future. However, Lily realizes that she has been neglecting one major responsibility: her feelings. Can Lily maintain all of her other duties, while also investigating her attraction to the Head Boy?
1. September

The glass display case contained rows of fluffy Danish pastries, arranged in neat rows on the basis of their fillings. Blueberry. Cherry. Almond. Cinnamon Apple. Cheesecake.

The pastry stand, located underneath a large blue umbrella on a busy corner in London, caught the attention of seventeen-year-old Lily Evans. Lily, who had been towing her luggage across the road toward King's Cross Railway Station, stopped to peruse the freshly baked desserts. She considered the options, her tongue jutting out from between her rosy lips. Her eyes shifted from the almond pastry to the cinnamon apple pastry, and then back.

The sidewalk vendor at the pastry stand, who had been leaning against the display case in the shade of the umbrella, straightened up. Grabbing a sheet of parchment paper and a brown paper bag, he slid open the door of the case.

"What'll it be?" he prompted Lily.

"Um... could I have one almond pastry and one cinnamon apple pastry, please?" she requested.

The vendor scooped up her selections, dropped them into the bag, and passed it across the case to her. Lily dug through her wallet, pulled out a note, and handed it to the pastry seller. As he prepared her change, she studied the contents of her wallet. While she had a few notes, Lily possessed a great number of oversized coins. Some of these coins—Galleons, as they were called by wizards—were the size of automobile hubcaps! When preparing for her return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Lily had not only needed to exchange many of her British notes for wizarding currency, but had also needed to bewitch her wallet so it would accommodate the size of her wizarding gold!

"I don't expect to be paying with 'Muggle' money for a while," she thought inwardly, as she accepted her change from the merchant.

"Safe travels!" he called as Lily departed the stand. Lily maneuvered her luggage—as well as her newly purchased pastries—to King's Cross Railway Station.

* * *

Inside the station, Lily located a small café table and sat down, depositing her belongings around her. In addition to her bag of pastries, she also possessed a large trunk of clothing and textbooks, a small satchel, and a blanket-linked basket in which a small tawny cat currently napped.

"Oh, what a relief to put that all down," she thought to herself.

Lily glanced at her watch: 10:15 AM. The Hogwarts Express was not due to leave for another forty-five minutes. Lily took a generous bite out of the almond pastry, and then began digging around in her satchel. After a moment, she produced a shining scarlet badge emblazoned with the words "Head Girl." Lily turned the badge over in her hands a few times, admiring it from all angles. She loved the way the scarlet background caught the light, as if it were glowing. She loved the silver lettering of the words. But most of all, she loved the title. Lily could not wait to pin the badge onto her school robes later today, to fully enjoy the position she had worked so diligently to acquire.

The badge had arrived three weeks ago in an envelope from Hogwarts, enclosed with her list of course books. Lily happily recalled that day:

_ Lily sat at her kitchen table with her father, both of them perusing morning newspapers and buttering toast. Lily flipped through the sections of _The Daily Prophet_, while her father browsed the headlines of _The Times_. Both of them discovered articles of interest and began reading avidly, so that they did not notice the large brown owl flying outside their kitchen window. _

_ This large brown owl swooped across the lane, heading directly for the Evans' house. It landed in the flowerbox outside of the window, and lightly pecked on the window screen. This sound was enough to interrupt Lily from her newspaper. _

_ "Oooh! The Hogwarts Owl! The owl is here, Dad!" Lily yelped, rushing over to open the window screen and usher the owl inside the kitchen. _

_ Lily's father put down his newspaper, turning his attention to his daughter as she detached the letter from the owl's leg. He watched as she carefully broke the seal on the envelope, her breath catching as she did so. _

_ "It looks like this envelope may be thicker than those I received in past years, don't you think, Dad?" Lily questioned._

_ "Come, honey, read the letter!" her father pressed, shifting around in his seat in anticipation. _

_ Lily screwed up her eyes and yanked the letter out of the envelope. As she did so, something small and silver fell to the floor, colliding with the kitchen tile with a high-pitched "clink!" _

_ Lily looked down at her feet. The small, silver object was... the Head Girl badge!_

_ She picked it up, squealing. _

_ "Dad! Dad! I'm Head Girl! I'm Head Girl!" she twittered, rushing over to give him a hug._

_ "Of course, my Lily. I would not expect anything less from you! You are a born leader." he replied, wrapping her in a tight hug. _

_ "Oh, oh, I need to go tell Mum!" Lily exclaimed. _

_ Lily's father leaned back in his chair and smiled. "That's my girl," he said softly, ruffling her hair before releasing her._

_ She rushed out of the room to find her mother, ecstatic to share the news of her accomplishment._

Lily certainly was excited about her new rank, but she also felt a sense of unease. The Head Girl is expected to work in close partnership with the Head Boy. Lily had reread her letter time and time again, but had been forced to accept that her letter did not inform her of her colleague's name.

Looking at the badge now, the thought of her unknown partner reentered her mind.

"I do wonder who Professor Dumbledore selected as Head Boy..." she mused to herself, while sampling another mouthful of the almond Danish pastry.

Lily fished around in her satchel again, this time extracting a pad of paper and a quill. She raised the quill to her lips, thought deeply for a few moments, and then began to jot names onto the pad:

_Remus Lupin_

_Caradoc Dearborn_

_Gideon Prewett_

* * *

"Hey, Head Girl!" A voice called from across the station. Lily looked up from her pad. Her roommate and friend, Dorcas Meadowes, was strolling toward her, lugging along her trunk, her broomstick, and her caged owl.

Dorcas pushed her long dark hair out of her face, and then dropped down in a chair opposite Lily's. She snuck a glance at Lily's pad, quickly skimming the short list of names.

"Starting your Christmas list rather early this year, aren't you?" she quipped, gesturing at the list.

Lily blushed. "No, that's not it," she said quietly. "I have been trying to figure out who the Head Boy might be."

Dorcas studied the names more closely, propping her chin in her hand. "I bet it's Gideon Prewett," she predicted. "Dumbledore has always nursed a soft spot for those Prewett boys!"

Lily's eyebrows shot up. "Favoritism does not play a role in Dumbledore's selection of Head Boys and Head Girls!" she insisted sternly. "In fact, I am sure Dumbledore does not even play favorites... in any situation!"

"No worries, Lily, no worries," said Emmeline Vance as she approached the table. Emmeline, another friend and roommate of Lily's, joined the other two girls at the table.

"We are all aware that you are a model student, and that you have earned your position as Head Girl," Emmeline added as she lowered herself into a chair.

"No, no, Emmeline," Dorcas clarified. "We are trying to guess who Dumbledore appointed Head Boy."

"Oh, I would put my money on Remus Lupin," Emmeline exclaimed. "You'd love to work with him Lily; he's smart, he's polite, **and** he's another Gryffindor!"

"You're right, Emmeline," Dorcas agreed. "He and Lily would get on alright."

"I might get along with him," Lily consented, "but I do not know about the company he keeps," she said, referring to James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew.

Dorcas snorted. "Come on, Lily. You know Sirius and James may be rule breakers, but I still think Remus is the best option you've got."

Lily shrugged, pulling the list toward her again as Emmeline began to suggest other possible candidates for Head Boy.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the three girls crossed through the magical barrier onto Platform 9 ¾. The Hogwarts Express appeared before them, shining brightly and emitting a great deal of silvery steam. All around them, students greeted friends and exchanged good-byes with their families. Usually the scene on Platform 9 ¾ excited Lily, but she found herself preoccupied.

"Who am I going to be working with all year?" she thought out loud.

"Eeee!" squealed Emmeline. "I'm just as anxious as you are, Lily! You must tell us who the Head Boy is when we catch up with you at the feast!"

Dorcas nodded. "Go on over to the prefect carriage," she suggested. "I bet he's in there already."

Lily nodded curtly. She pulled her robes over her head, attaching her Head Girl badge with great care. She stowed her luggage, offered her friends a parting wave, and headed over to the prefect car.

"Oh, I hope he's not a Slytherin..." she muttered to herself.

Lily swung open the door of the prefect compartment. The train car, with its row of maroon seats, appeared deserted, as most of the students were still milling around on the platform. Lily scanned the seats, trying to decide on the best place for the Head Girl to sit.

"I guess I should station myself right at the front of the car," she thought to herself as she walked up the aisle.

Upon nearing the front of the train compartment, Lily pitched her satchel over the back of the first seat.

"Blimey!" a voice shouted from that seat, causing Lily to jump back in surprise.

"Might want to check that a seat's not occupied before you just go chucking things onto it!" the voice cried.

The owner of the voice straightened, turning his face towards Lily. Lily's mouth dropped as she recognized the short, mussed, black hair; the slender face; and the hazel eyes. James Potter.

"Potter!" Lily cried. "What are you doing in this compartment? You know full well this car is only for prefects!"

"Oh, it's quite alright, Evans! Thank you for your apology!" James wisecracked, offering her a smirk.

"Oh, Potter, it's a purse, not a ton of bricks," Lily replied. "Plus, I am being serious. The Head Boy and the prefects will be entering any moment, and we need this compartment in order to hold our first meeting. I need you out!"

"Actually, Evans, I think you'll need me in this train car," James informed her, waving toward the Head Boy badge pinned onto his robes.

"Er—what?" Lily asked, momentarily taken back.

How could James have the Head Boy badge? He had not even been a prefect last year!

Then, Lily's thoughts drifted back to her conversation with Dorcas and Emmeline in the railway station.

"Did you take that badge from Remus?" Lily asked suspiciously, thinking about James' close friendship with Remus.

"Evans, Evans," James said laughingly. "Do you really think I have lowered myself to that standard—stealing a Head Boy badge? You may have little respect for me, but I can assure you I am no thief! On the contrary, I consider myself a very munificent gentleman! I daresay, if you were to go on a date with me, you would find my generosity to be one of my best qualities!"

James sent Lily a coy smile, while Lily's mouth hardened into a thin line.

"James Potter, I will not go on a date with you," Lily said stonily.

"Fine, Evans. Spend another Friday night in the library! I was just trying to add some excitement to your seventh year." James responded.

Lily turned away from James to face the back of the train car. She felt her face redden and took two deep breaths, trying to steady herself.

"Is that what he thinks—that I spend all of my weekends in the library because I cannot get a date?" she seethed internally. "Potter doesn't have the slightest idea about hard work and dedication!"

"Come on, Evans," James goaded. "Don't say my little joke upset you. We've got a meeting to lead in a mo'. Pull yourself together!"

Lily stiffened, but could not deny that James had a point. Lily could begin to hear voices nearby; other students had boarded the Hogwarts Express. She would not let a tiff with James Potter ruin her first moment as Head Girl. With yet another deep breath, Lily turned around.

"Oh, I'm ready, Potter," she stated calmly. "I am ready to take my job very _seriously_." She stressed the word, as though daring him to say otherwise.

James simply nodded, a smile still on his face.

* * *

"Good morning, my name is Lily Evans, and I am pleased to introduce myself to you as this term's Head Girl," Lily said strongly, speaking to the group of prefects who had gathered in the train car.

"And I am—" James began.

"James Potter!" a Ravenclaw prefect interrupted, giggling. "No need to introduce yourself!" She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, sending James a winning smile.

A number of male prefects sniggered, while a few other female prefects smiled similarly.

"Well, yes, I am James Potter." James continued, grinning indulgently at the attention he was receiving.

Lily rolled her eyes. "We have asked you to gather here to explain your first duties as prefects. For the remainder of the train ride, we ask that you will patrol the train cars and vestibules in order to ensure that all students behave accordingly. Additionally, we ask that you lead your House's first-year students to their dormitories at the conclusion of the Welcome Feast. We will meet again in two week's time to discuss additional duties."

"However, do not misinterpret Miss Evans," James interjected. "You are not free from duties for the next two weeks. I expect that you will monitor your dormitories and the corridors at all times. After all, who would pass up a chance to deduct points from other Houses? I fully intend to use that privilege to the advantage of the Gryffindor Quidditch team!"

James' comment received a couple of hearty laughs, but Lily shot James a stern look.

"James is correct that you should monitor student behavior continually," Lily amended. "But I wholeheartedly believe that no prefect would misuse his power to manipulate the outcome of the House Cup."

"I do believe that is all worth discussing today, though," James concluded. "You're free to go!"

The prefects filed out of the compartment, with James close behind them.

"Catch up with you later, Evans!" he called over his shoulder as he exited the compartment.

Lily blew a few loose strands of her out of her eyes and sighed. Was this really going to be how she spent her seventh year? She was much less thrilled about her Head Girl position than she had been three weeks ago...

* * *

An hour after the prefect meeting on board the Hogwarts Express, Lily was sitting comfortably within the Great Hall at the Welcome Feast. Famished from the long train ride to Hogwarts, she spooned sizable helpings of roast lamb, sliced carrots, and potatoes onto her plate.

"So sorry I did not get a chance to come by your compartment," Lily said to Dorcas and Emmeline.

"Oh, no worries," Emmeline waved away her friend's apology with her thin, well-manicured hand.

"Yes, you did not miss much. We wound up sitting near Alice, and had to listen to her describe her summer evenings with Frank for close to an hour," Dorcas commented, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, Alice is so sweet, though," Lily responded, thinking of her friend and study partner.

"Nevermind, though," Emmeline interrupted. "Who is the Head Boy?"

"Oh..." Lily started, her face falling slightly.

"That bad?" Dorcas asked, reading her friend's expression.

"It's James Potter." Lily answered dully.

Emmeline frowned. "Aw, I'm so sorry, Lil. I thought it would have been Remus for sure! I cannot imagine why Dumbledore would give the badge to James.."

"Mmm, especially because that means he has two badges to wear this year," Dorcas added.

"Two badges?" Lily inquired.

Dorcas nodded. "He is also captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team... **and** decided to begin practices this week!"

Dorcas played Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team and, while she cared about her team's standing in the House Cup, clearly believed that Quidditch practices should not begin during the first week of the term.

"Two badges!" Lily repeated, this time with more feeling, her face contorted into a rather nasty expression.

* * *

"So, it's her then, isn't it?" Sirius Black asked as soon as James sat down for the Welcome Feast.

James nodded eagerly. "Of course, who else could it be? She was a sure pick."

"And how did she react to finding you as Head Boy?" Peter Pettigrew queried, leaning over Sirius.

"Err... doubtful?" James offered. "She actually suggested that I nicked the badge from you, mate," he told Remus.

Remus laughed. "Did she?"

"You really did seem to be the obvious choice," Sirius said to Remus.

Remus shrugged. "Better James than me, especially if Lily is the Head Girl."

"Quite right," Sirius assented. "James, my boy, you're running out of time. You have ten months left to win that girl over... you better consider this Head Boy job a blessing."

As the four Gryffindors laughed at Sirius' comment, Professor McGonagall approached their section of the long House table.

"Welcome back, you four," she greeted them before turning her attention to James.

"Potter, I would like to meet with you and Miss Evans to discuss Head duties after the feast. Can you meet me in the Entrance Hall after Professor Dumbledore dismisses the students?"

"Yes, Professor," James responded.

"Excellent. Tell Miss Evans, as well, would you, please?" she said, before returning to the staff table.

"Mister Potter would be more than pleased to speak with Miss Evans, Professor McGonagall," Sirius said, chortling.

* * *

"Evans! Oi, Evans!" James called, hurrying to reach Lily as she exited the Great Hall with Dorcas and Emmeline.

"Potter?" Lily said, turning around.

"McGonagall wants us. She wants to talk about Head duties," James informed her.

"Oh, alright," Lily said, separating herself from her two friends.

"I'll see you both upstairs later, then," she told Dorcas and Emmeline.

"Right you will," James said. "And Meadowes, see you Thursday at practice?"

Dorcas nodded. "Bit of an early start, wouldn't you agree?"

James winked. "It's the recipe for success!"

Lily rolled her eyes, falling into step alongside James. The two of them walked silently into the Entrance Hall, where Professor McGonagall was waiting for them.

"Oh good, Potter and Evans. Come right this way, we'll just be a few moments." Professor McGonagall said, ushering them toward the same classroom where the first years had been briefed for the sorting ceremony.

"I wanted to start by congratulating you both on your new titles—Head Boy and Head Girls. These titles are truly an honor, and I am sure you would not have earned them if Dumbledore did not view you as responsible role models for your fellow students," Professor McGonagall began.

Lily gave a small snort, which, despite her attempts to disguise as a cough, still attracted the suspicions of Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall stared at Lily for a couple long seconds before continuing.

"The purpose of our meeting today is for me to provide you with an overview of your duties in the coming weeks. In addition to supervising the prefects and overseeing student safety, the Head Boy and Head Girl must also account for extracurricular activities. For example, you two will plan the holiday balls, coordinate the Hogsmeade trips for the older students, and distribute funding to student organizations. I trust that you two will meet twice a month in order to discuss such matters."

Lily and James nodded.

"Additionally, I have some information that may assist you two in planning your bi-monthly meetings. The Head Boy and Head Girl have access to a Head Meeting Room. The Head Meeting Room is located on the fourth floor, near the tapestry of the Goblet of Gubraithian Fire. The door is directly across from the tapestry, and the password to enter is 'durante munere.' You are welcome to use this meeting room as frequently as needed, both separately and together."

"Thank you, Professor!" Lily enthused.

"Yes, thank you," James echoed.

"Alright, then," Professor McGonagall said. "I trust you will begin planning your first meeting promptly. That is all the information I have for you at this time. I will check in with both of you in a few weeks. James, you are free to go. Lily, may I have a word privately?"

James eyebrows shot up, and he twisted around to give Lily a questioning look. Lily blushed and looked down, unsure of what Professor McGonagall might have to say to her. Would she be scolded for the disrespectful snort that she let slip minutes earlier? Her stomach heaved slightly; it was only her first day as Head Girl. She did not want to lose her professor's trust already!

James exited the room with another backwards glance. Once Professor McGonagall was certain James was out of earshot, she turned her eyes to Lily. Lily was relieved to see that, while Professor McGonagall's eyes were never soft, they were not narrowed in extreme displeasure.

"Lily, I understand that you may be surprised to find James as Head Boy. You two have very different personalities, and I can see why you might consider yourself a more dedicated and mature candidate for the position."

Lily nodded, pleased to hear that Professor McGonagall recognized her perspective.

"However, please know that Dumbledore is most confident in his selection of both the Head Girl and the Head Boy. In fact, James Potter has knowledge that you may find quite valuable."

Lily's ears perked up. James Potter might have knowledge valuable to Lily? What could James possibly have learned that she did not know? She earned comparable grades in their courses, and—plus—she had already served as a prefect. She was much more familiar with leadership positions at Hogwarts than he is!

"You are to treat him as your equal. Remember that you are a role model. As an exemplary student, you should not pass judgment on your colleagues. I look forward to hearing that you are setting a standard for student cooperation at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall instructed.

Lily's face reddened as she recalled her Head Girl duties.

"Yes, professor," she promised. "I assure you that you will receive only positive feedback about my completion of my Head Girl responsibilities."

Professor McGonagall nodded sternly. "Very well, then. Off to bed for both of us. I shall see you in the morning for Transfiguration."

Professor McGonagall and Lily departed the classroom, and headed their separate ways. As Lily walked up to the Portrait of the Fat Lady, the entryway into the Gryffindor dormitories, she quickly found herself lost in her thoughts.

James Potter has valuable information? What could it be, and would she really consider it all that valuable?


	2. October

3.45 centimeters, Lily measured. She had unrolled her sheet of parchment, stretching it out fully. Her neat, loopy cursive filled almost three and half centimeters of the five-centimeter long parchment.

"Nearly there," Lily thought approvingly, examining her assignment. "I should be able to finish this tonight with Alice... if Potter will ever show up for this bloody meeting first!"

Lily chanced a look at the clock. 7:13 PM. She had scheduled a head meeting with James for 7:00 PM, and had also scheduled a study session with Alice Longbottom for 8:00 PM. Lily was getting testy as she did not like to be kept waiting, especially when she also had to attend to other commitments. Thankfully, she had brought her Potions essay with her to the head meeting room, so the time spent waiting had not been wasted.

"He has until 7:20," Lily decided. She removed her sheet of notes for the head meeting from her satchel, and then began to mentally prepare an irritated speech to deliver upon James' arrival.

At 7:18 PM, the tapestry swung upon.

"Good evening, my dear," James drawled, as he waltzed into the head common room and sprawled into the unoccupied chair at the large, oak table. He was sweaty, still dressed in Quidditch robes. He pushed his unruly black hair away from his forehead, and mopped his brow with the back of his hand.

Rather than launching into her prepared speech, Lily found her eyes trained to him, taking in his disheveled appearance. She was somewhat disgusted by his unkemptness, yet continued to watch as he made half-hearted attempts to tidy himself up.

Lily suddenly realized that she was staring at James. She gave a small cough, and then busied herself by moving her Potions books and essay onto the floor in order to clear some space for James.

"Potter," Lily said, "I'm hoping for a quick meeting today. I did not deduct any house points for student misbehavior within the last two weeks, so I do not have any incident reports to write out for Mr. Filch. Did you deduct any points for misbehavior?"

"Cutting right to the chase today, eh?" James noted with a wry smile. "Alright, right to it, then. I did not deduct any house points for misbehavior, but I did notice some misbehavior that I think warrants a report—although not to Filch."

"What do you mean?" Lily asked curiously.

"You know that prefect—Caradoc Dearborn? He's supposed to be patrolling the North Wing on Tuesday and Thursday evenings?"

Lily nodded.

"Well, I happen to know that last Thursday he skived off patrols. He spent the entire evening in the kitchens," James informed Lily.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "He missed an entire evening of patrols? Do you mean to say that the corridor was left unattended?"

"Mhm," James affirmed. "I thought we should mention it to McGonagall."

Lily paused thoughtfully for a few long seconds. "I agree that we should inform Professor McGonagall about prefects missing patrol duty," she concurred, "but I am eager to hear how you know all this when you spent Thursday evening out on the Quidditch pitch."

"Hmm?" James swiveled his head toward Lily.

"You hold Quidditch practice every Thursday, Potter," Lily said. "I do not see how you could have been in the North Wing at the same time."

"You've memorized my schedule, Evans? How charming of you!" James teased.

Lily blushed deeply. "I have not memorized your schedule! I learned the Quidditch schedule from Dorcas."

"Well, I never said I was there," James justified. "I just said I know that Dearborn was not there."

"Was one of your friends out in the hallways after hours?" Lily inquired, thinking of the Marauders' reputation for banned behavior.

"Nope, I've got no evidence of that," James claimed definitively. "I've got other ways of knowing where people are, Evans. You can trust me on this one."

Lily hesitated again. Is this what Professor McGonagall meant when she had said that James would be able to provide valuable information? How could James know that Caradoc Dearborn was off in the kitchens when he was not even in the castle?

"Alright," Lily agreed. "We'll report Caradoc's absence to Professor McGonagall."

"Anything else?" James prompted. "You had said today would be a quick meeting."

Lily glanced at her watch. They had already spent twenty minutes in the common room together.

"Yes, one more thing," she said. "The Halloween Feast is at the end of the month. Professor McGonagall asked us to plan the menu, as well as entertainment to follow the dinner. I figure we should at least consider the menu today."

"Easy enough! Roast turkey, green beans, corn, all the Harvest Meal fixings. For dessert, pumpkin pie, candied apples, and treacle toffee," James spouted.

"Treacle toffee? You consider that a Halloween treat?" Lily asked.

"Nope, but it is my favorite dessert," James grinned.

"Fine," Lily assented. "I will tell Professor McGonagall that we plan on a traditional Harvest meal. I guess we can break for today. Let's meet again next week to finish planning the feast."

Lily pulled her day planner out of her satchel. "How does Thursday the 13th sound? We can schedule after Quidditch practice."

James peered over at her day planner. "Is that night a full moon?"

Lily stared at James oddly. "No, the full moon is not until the 27th," she stated, gesturing at her day planner. "Although, I'm not sure what the phases of the moon have to do with the date of a head meeting."

James avoided eye contact with Lily, instead busying himself by pulling out his own day planner. "Thursday the 13th is fine."

Lily nodded, jotted down the meeting, and then replaced her day planner in her satchel. She stood up, stretching her legs and arms. James stood up, as well.

"May I escort you back to the Gryffindor dormitories," he asked suavely, offering Lily his arm.

Lily shook her head. "I'm off to the library to meet Alice. We have homework to finish."

James sighed and shook his head. "G'night, then, Evans. Enjoy the library!"

* * *

"You're brilliant, Remus!" James whispered, seating himself with his three best friends in the Gryffindor common room. "Evans wouldn't admit it, but she was impressed that I knew a prefect had been skiving off patrols!"

Remus smiled. "Who would have thought we'd ever put that map to _good_ use?"

Sirius snorted. "We _always_ put it to good use, Lupin."

Peter looked up from a deck of cards that he had been shuffling intently. "What are you three talking about?"

"Oh, Wormtail, you missed this discussion. You slept through breakfast last Tuesday, you lazy rat. Anyways, to fill you in—Evans had been complaining that James doesn't dock points from students. You know how uptight she can be, taking five points off from anyone who uses magic in the hallway—"

"As she should, Sirius!" Remus interrupted. "That is her job as Head Girl!"

"But who has time to just camp out in the hallway and scout out improper use of magic?" Sirius countered. "James is far too busy for that. Last Thursday, though, when Remus and I were planning to head down to the kitchens, we checked the Marauder's Map. We noticed someone was already down there... a prefect that should have been upstairs patrolling some corridors."

Peter smiled, as he began to cotton on. "So James snitched?"

James nodded.

"Oh, she must have been baffled. You caught some misbehavior that she somehow overlooked!" Peter replied.

"She was a little puzzled," James agreed, "but what's more important is that she now thinks that I am taking my position seriously. I need her to respect me..."

"I am sure she respects you, Prongs," Remus said.

"But you want more than respect, don't you, boy?" Sirius quipped.

James grinned at Sirius, giving him a knowing look.

"Now, James-y, seeing as Remus and I just helped you out, I'm hoping you can return the favor."

"What kind of favor do you need?" James asked.

"Well, to be quite blunt, I need a private room to take Hestia." Sirius admitted.

"So do you want all of us to stay down here while you use the dormitory?" Peter asked.

"No, no, I need something more private than that," Sirius clarified.

"Like what, the Room of Requirement?" James suggested. "I don't see how you need a favor from me to get in there."

"No, I'm thinking of an even better room. Seeing as your meeting is over, Prongs, I'd like to take Hestia to the Head common room for a nice snog."

James paused. "Sirius, it's a meeting room. It's just a big table with two chairs in there."

"Prongs, I've already snogged Hestia in the captain's office in the Quidditch locker room, in the Room of Requirement, and in all of the secret passageways that haven't gone moldy. I've set a standard, now I need to deliver! I need access to this new secretive snogging location," Sirius begged. "Besides, are you even going to be using it anymore tonight? It's just going to lie vacant!"

James slowly inclined his head, taking in Sirius' points. "Alright, then," he conceded. "The password is 'durante munere.'"

Sirius jumped up quickly. "Cheers!" he called, before walking across the common room toward Hestia.

* * *

Lily overturned his satchel, allowing all of her belongings to cascade onto the library table. She pushed aside her day planner, three quills, a bottle of ink, and some notes she had taken during that day's Arithmancy class.

"It's not here," she whimpered to Alice. "I was working on it just earlier! I cannot believe that I lost it!"

"Shh," Alice soothed. "Think. Where were you working on it last? I'm sure you've just misplaced it."

Lily racked her mind. She had started working on her essay during dinner in the Great Hall, and had continued to work on it while waiting for Potter in the Head common room.

"I left it in the Head common room!" she realized. "I placed it on the floor when Potter came in."

Lily stood up swiftly. "Wait her just for a mo'," she told Alice. "I'll just dart up and fetch it."

Lily scurried out of the library, heading to the fourth floor.

"Durante munere!" She gasped at the tapestry, out of breath from racing up four flights of stairs.

The tapestry swung open, revealing two figures intertwined atop the head table.

"Ohh, Sirius," a voice moaned as the two figures shared a heated kiss.

"Dear Merlin!" Lily shrieked, staring wild-eyed at the scene in front of her. Her bottle-green eyes were as wide as orbs.

"Oi, Evans! Care to join us?" Sirius called unabashedly, still lying on the tabletop. He waved her over.

Lily shook her head, unable to formulate a response.

"My... my essay," she finally uttered, pointing underneath the table.

"Oh, these yours?" Sirius asked. He stood up, gathered the essay and books, and handed them to Lily.

She nodded, forcing herself to swallow the lump in her throat.

"You're welcome," Sirius said over his shoulder, returning to Hestia.

Lily backed out of the room quickly. Once outside of the tapestry, she endeavored to regain her composure. She leaned against the wall and pushed her red locks off of her forehead. The feeling of embarrassment began to ebb out of her body, quickly replaced with an overwhelming sense of anger.

"Potter..." Lily hissed.

* * *

Loud, stomping footsteps approached James as he sat in the Gryffindor common room, playing Exploding Snap with Peter and Remus. Seconds later, a stack of Potions books dropped onto the table top, scattering stacks of cards.

James gazed up at the owner of these books bemusedly.

"What's wrong, m'dear?" He asked Lily lightly. "Did you change your mind about the Harvest menu?"

"No, I have not changed my bloody mind about the Harvest menu!" she responded in an icy tone.

"Oh good, because I really am looking forward to treacle toffee," James remarked.

"I just went to retrieve my books from the Head common room," Lily began, "and I would love if you could enlighten me as to why Sirius Black and some girl are in there."

James' jaw sank open, and he quickly exchanged frightened looks with Remus and Peter.

"How dare you!" Lily exploded, shooting daggers out of her eyes at James.

Remus and Peter quickly stood up, offered hurried excuses, and headed up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

"Please Evans, not here," James pleaded, looking around at all of the other students in the common room. Many of them, attracted by Lily's sudden outburst, were watching Lily and James with interest.

"Oh, of course, Potter," Lily said sarcastically. "Let's just take this conversation to the Head common room. Oh wait—it's _occupied_!"

James sank lower in his seat and stared at his hands for a few seconds.

"Lily, I'm sorry..." he muttered.

"The Head common room is for meetings, Potter," Lily lectured ferociously. "We are to use that room for planning, you arse! I would not be angry if you used that room to host Quidditch team meetings or to study, but to send your friend in there for a shag is unacceptable!"

"Sirius and Hestia are _shagging_?" James inquired, eyes brightening.

"Oh, please! Stay on topic!" Lily demanded. "I am tired of you not taking your responsibilities seriously! I have half a mind to report you to McGonagall!"

"No, Lily, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you." James urged.

"How do you intend to go about doing that?" she questioned, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'll... I'll plan the Halloween Feast myself," James offered. "I will take all of that work off of your hands. I promise, I'll plan the after-dinner entertainment, set up the Great Hall on the day of the feast, and take care of any other matters. Please, just let me slide this one time."

Lily stared directly into James' eyes. His pleading look caused her to soften slightly.

"Alright, Potter," she acquiesced. "But please, this feast needs to be good. Take it seriously?"

"Oh, I'm ready, Evans. I am ready to take my job very _seriously_," he assured her, echoing her own words from a month earlier.

Lily hid the smile that was itching to appear on her face.

* * *

Lily sat beside the lake, enjoying the colors of the fall foliage reflected in the water. Gorgeous shades of red, orange, and gold sparkled as the lake rippled in a light breeze. She stretched her legs out in front of her and inhaled deeply, as if she could smell autumn. Lily loved spending afternoons out beside the lake, and was pleased that the weather had cooperated throughout October. She had been bringing her reading out onto the Hogwarts grounds regularly.

"Oh, we knew we would find you out here!" Emmeline called, as she and Dorcas approached Lily.

"Although why you would chose to sit out here instead of eat dinner in the Great Hall is beyond me..." Dorcas teased. She tossed an apple into the air and caught it easily.

"Well, it is only five-thirty, Dorcas," Emmeline countered. "Not everyone eats dinner this early!"

"Not everyone has Potter scheduling Quidditch practice at 6 PM!" Dorcas grumbled.

"You look like Potter right now," Lily commented, watching Dorcas pitch the apple into the air. She was reminded of James' common practice of testing his reflexes with a snitch.

"Sorry, Lil," Dorcas said, grinning. "Here, take it, you've got to eat something."

"Yes, you really should. If we head to the library now, you'll probably miss dinner tonight," Emmeline chided.

"Thanks," Lily said, grabbing the apple. She gathered up her book and stood up.

The three girls gamboled away from the water's edge, down a path that would lead them first past the Quidditch pitch and then to the castle.

"So what's the plan for the Halloween Feast?" Emmeline asked. "I'm looking forward to it! I think Gideon may ask me to go with him." She smiled toothily.

"Honestly, I don't know what the plan is," Lily admitted.

"What do you mean? It's in a _week and a half_," Dorcas reminded her.

"James offered to plan it," Lily explained.

"You made the Head Boy plan the party? No offense, Lil, but blokes usually are not excellent party planners," Dorcas said with a touch of sarcasm.

"I did not _make_ him plan it," Lily countered. "And besides, it's a Halloween party. The theme is not altogether difficult. I'm sure it'll just be a costume party."

"A costume party?" Emmeline repeated.

"Well, yeah, everyone wears costumes on Halloween," Lily looked at Emmeline curiously.

"What do you mean?" Dorcas inquired further.

"Halloween guising?" Lily offered, watching Dorcas' confused expression. "You don't know? On Halloween, children dress up in costumes and go door-to-door collecting candy."

Dorcas frowned. "That must be some sort of Muggle thing."

Lily glanced at Emmeline, who appeared equally perturbed.

"I guess it must be..." Lily conceded.

"Well then, Potter won't have the slightest clue about it," Dorcas predicted, as she neared the pitch.

"Have the slightest clue about what?" James asked, falling into stride alongside Dorcas.

"Oh hullo, James," Dorcas greeted her Quidditch teammate.

"Have a clue about what?" James pressed.

"Oh, I don't know—_guising_?" Dorcas said, as if trying out the word for the first time.

James looked at her oddly. "Guising?"

Dorcas smirked. "Told you so, Lily."

* * *

"Remus, what's 'guising'?" James asked later that evening, while sitting with the Marauders in the Gryffindor common room.

"Guising? It's a Halloween tradition. You've never heard of it?" Remus asked.

James shook his head. "Have you, mate?" he asked Sirius.

Sirius shrugged.

"Oh, well, it's a Scottish and an Irish practice, although British families do it, also," Remus described. "On Halloween, Muggle children dress up in costumes and then travel from house to house. At each house, the residents hand out candy to the children."

Sirius' ears perked up. "You mean people just give out free candy?"

"To _children_, Sirius," Remus clarified.

"I could pass for twelve or thirteen, no?" Sirius asked Peter.

"Oh, nevermind that!" James interrupted. "We're not going guising!"

"Then why ask about it?" Peter questioned.

"Because Lily mentioned guising when she talked about the Halloween Feast," James told his friends.

"So Lily wants to go guising? What do you expect she'll dress as—an old hag? Or, no, no! You'll prefer this one, Prongs: a pixie!" Sirius jested.

"No, I don't think anyone is going guising..." Remus mused.

"Well, why are we going on about this, then?" Sirius questioned.

"I think," Remus ventured, "that Lily expects the Halloween Feast to be a costume party or a masquerade."

A dawning look of comprehension crossed James' face.

"Blimey, you're probably right," he agreed.

"We should still work free candy in there somehow, though," Sirius asserted. "Cauldron Cakes, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs..." His eyes lit up at the thought.

"Well, looks like we've got a lot of work to do," James said, thinking nervously about the approaching event.

* * *

On October 29th, Lily, Emmeline, and Dorcas readied themselves for the Halloween Feast in their dormitory. Dorcas donned a pair of dark green Quidditch robes, looking—Lily realized—much like she always did.

"Are you just going as yourself?" Lily inquired uncertainly.

Dorcas sighed exasperatedly. "Lily, the Gryffindor Quidditch team wears scarlet. These robes are green!"

Lily's blank stare remained. "So you're going as a Slytherin Quidditch player?"

"I'm going as Glynnis Griffiths, the seeker for the Holyhead Harpies," Dorcas explained.

Lily's expression remained unchanged.

"She's a professional Quidditch player," Dorcas further explained, with her eyebrows rising.

"Oh, I see!" Lily responded.

"Why, what are you?" Dorcas asked, taking in Lily's silvery dress robes and tiara.

"I'm Rowena Ravenclaw!" Lily said indignantly, adjusting her tiara.

"And she was a princess?" Dorcas guessed.

"No, she created a diadem that enhances wisdom!" Lily said. "It's all in _Hogwarts: A History_."

"You better go sit with the Ravenclaws tonight," Dorcas joked.

Meanwhile, Emmeline stepped out of the changing room, appearing rather self-conscious.

"Lily, does this look passable?" she asked, studying her blue jeans, blouse, and trainers in the mirror.

"You make a perfect Muggle!" Lily cried, smiling at Emmeline's attire.

"Oh, good," Emmeline breathed. "I think I'm all ready, then."

With one last look in the mirror, Emmeline joined her two friends. Together, they joined the droves of students walking toward the Great Hall.

* * *

The treacle toffee was flying off the dishes, much to Lily's surprise.

"I guess it's not just James' favorite," she thought, as she helped herself to a slice of pumpkin pie. "Although, it seems James has planned the whole menu rather well..."

As she aimed a spoonful of pumpkin pie into her moth, Lily gazed around the Great Hall, pleased to see so many students eating heartily. She had been hesitant to allow James to plan the event, especially since both the Head Boy and the Head Girl were responsible for the success of the feast. However, the students seemed to be enjoying themselves, Lily realized with relief.

Moments later, just as Lily finished her pumpkin pie, Professor Dumbledore stood up. He tapped his fork against his water glass, thereby gaining the attention of the students.

"Happy Halloween!" Dumbledore greeted them. "I am pleased to see such wonderful costumes on so many of you! I am eager to begin the next phase of this feast. If you would all be so kind as to exit out the doors into the Entrance Hall momentarily, the staff shall prepare the room for you."

"Oooh! What's next, Lily? What's next?" Emmeline asked excitedly, as the girls made their way out of the Great Hall.

"I don't know," Lily replied honestly. "You'll have to wait and see."

"Or ask Potter!" Dorcas suggested, spotting the Head Boy standing with his three friends.

James was dressed in a dark gray Muggle suit. Remus wore a similar suit in black, while Sirius sported a flamboyant white suit, complete with patent leather shoes. Peter was dressed head-to-toe in denim.

"Oh, are they Muggles also?" Emmeline asked.

"Yeah, what is with those jackets they are wearing?" Dorcas said, wrinkling her nose.

"They're... they're dressed as the Beatles," Lily realized, looking more closely at the four boys.

"Oh! That Muggle band out of London!" Dorcas cried.

"Their music is quite good!" Emmeline agreed, looking over at the boys with newfound appreciation.

Dorcas strode over, intent on asking James what the rest of the evening entailed. However, before she reached James' side, the doors to the Great Hall sprang open and exuberant music spilled out into the Entrance Hall.

Emmeline grabbed Lily by the arm and tugged her inside. Lily gasped with surprise; the room had been completely transformed in just those few short minutes.

The long House tables had been replaced with smaller round tables, each seating approximately 10-12 people. Deep bowls in the center of each table overflowed with wizarding candy. Numerous students had already selected seats, and were sampling the wide spread of sweets available.

In the very back of the room, space had been allocated for a dance floor and band, the source of the fast-paced music audible from the Entrance Hall. Emmeline positively grinned at the sight of the dance floor; "I'm going to ask Gideon to dance," she announced, heading off to find him.

Additionally, the professors had set up small tables along the sides of the room. Each table displayed some sort of magical exhibit. Lily, overwhelmed with curiosity, headed over to the tables. Professor Slughorn was doling out small shot glass-sized doses of Felix Felicis to an eager crowd. Professor McGonagall was transfiguring clothespins into Halloween masks for students requiring last-minute costumes. Professor Kettleburn stood alongside a costumed ghoul, who was posing for photographs with students.

"This is brilliant!" Dorcas called, rushing over to join the queue of people at Slughorn's station.

Pleased that her two friends were enjoying the event, Lily watched contentedly as Professor McGonagall began meeting students' requests for Halloween masks. She giggled as McGonagall fashioned a clothespin into a mask that served as an exact replica of Professor Binns' face.

"Alright there, Evans?" a voice said from over her shoulder. Lily turned around to face James.

Lily smiled and nodded.

"What do you think?" he asked, stepping beside her.

"I would say... I would say I'm pretty impressed, Potter," Lily replied.

James beamed, his chest puffing up in pride. And Lily, finding the night's mood to be contagious, beamed as well.


	3. November

She slumped into her usual seat in the Potions dungeon, dropped her schoolbag onto the floor, and rubbed her temples. She was overwhelmed, exhausted even. Opening her day planner to the current week, she scanned the appointments set to occur over the next few days: Head meeting, Charms Club meeting, meeting with her academic advisor. History of Magic essay due on Friday. Transfiguration project due next Tuesday.

Lily's stress level had never been so intense before.

"Alright, Lily?" James called over, settling into a seat two rows behind her.

Lily grumbled back a barely intelligible response, still consumed by her day planner.

As Lily continued obsessing over her weekly responsibilities, Professor Slughorn strolled into the room, a jolly bounce in his step.

"Good afternoon, students," he greeted the assembled group of Gryffindors and Slytherins attending the Double Potions class. "I've got a special project planned for today!"

"As you are all aware," he continued, "only one month remains until the end of the fall term. Classes end on Friday, December 16th. For our remaining class sessions, you each will work with a partner in order to brew Elixir of Euphoria. I urge you all not to rush this potion, as its end result will count as a large portion of your final grade. _And_ don't think you can bribe your way into a higher final grade—although, I must admit, I would not say no to some candied pineapple for this holiday season!"

Emmeline raised her hand. "Please sir, will we be permitted to select our partners?"

Professor Slughorn shook his head. "Oh no, my dear, I am sorry. I went ahead and partnered you up already. I daresay I have created some highly interesting pairs! I look forward to seeing what you produce."

Emmeline frowned, looking over at a group of Slytherins who had segregated themselves from the Gryffindors. However, Professor Slughorn appeared oblivious to the expressions of dislike on the students' faces, and instead produced a list of names from his pocket.

"Dorcas Meadowes and Sirius Black," Professor Slughorn announced, "Remus Lupin and Amycus Carrow. Peter Pettigrew and Antonin Dolohov. James Potter and Emmeline Vance. Lily Evans and Severus Snape."

Upon hearing her name, Lily gathered her schoolbag and her cauldron and moved to the vacant seat next to Severus.

"Hullo, Severus," she said, as she sat down and began flipping through her copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_.

"Lily," Severus replied, "I've already reviewed the ingredients and steps that his potion will require. I doubt we are going to be able to brew this during class-time alone."

"Oh," Lily uttered, having located the pages dedicated to the potion in her textbook. "You're quite right. I suppose we should meet outside of class, also?"

Severus nodded.

Lily again studied her day planner, searching for free pockets of time.

"Busy, aren't you?" Severus commented, peering over her shoulder at the heavy writing inside her day planner.

"No, no, I'm sure we can find a time. I can always miss a Charms meeting or something of that sort," she assured Severus.

"Or a Head meeting?" he asked, pointing to Lily's scrawled entry for Thursday night.

Lily pursed her lips. "No, I'd rather not miss that. Professor McGonagall entrusted Potter and I to share the Head duties. It would not be fair to him if I did not attend."

"You're spending a lot of time with Potter, aren't you?" Severus accused her.

Lily's eyebrows furrowed. "We're the Head Boy and the Head Girl, Severus. Obviously we're going to have regular meetings."

"Meetings that I'm sure he contributes to greatly," Severus said scathingly.

"What do you mean by that?" Lily asked sternly.

"Oh, come on," Severus told her. "You cannot deny that he was an unlikely candidate for the Head Boy position. I'm sure you'll agree that he's inept, or at the very least unreliable and difficult to work with."

"Severus, what does this have to do with us scheduling times to work on our potion?" Lily stated, trying to redirect the conversation back to their class assignment.

"Listen, Lily—Potter puts his montly jaunts during the full moon before his responsibilities to the school. All I'm saying is that if the Head duties are not his priority, they needn't be your either," Severus advised.

"What are you talking about, Severus?" Lily asked, feeling slightly offended.

"You don't know yet? Oh, you'll know soon enough," Severus responded.

Lily racked her brain. Why was it that Severus' comment about the full moon seemed so familiar? He may be on to something; she vaguely remember James mentioning the full moon to her once before. If only she could remember that conversation more clearly...

Yet, she had no evidence that James was involved in any sort of improper behavior during the night of the full moon. In fact, all she could recall was evidence to counter Severus' claims.

"You know, Severus, I am actually enjoying working with James on Head duties," Lily claimed.

Sirius' head perked up at that announcement, and he quickly jabbed James in the back. Soon, the two Marauders were looking on with great interest as Lily delivered a passionate retort.

"James has not only made considerable efforts to assist me in overseeing student safety in the corridors, but was also fully responsible for the excellent Halloween Feast that we recently enjoyed. I don't think I could have asked for a more capable co-Head. It's in this Potions class, on the other hand, where I think I could have used a more congenial partner!"

Severus' face reddened at Lily's backhanded insult.

"Pay her no mind, Snape!" Alecto Carrow called across the room. "There's no weight to the opinions of a Mudblood!"

It was now Lily's turn to blush deeply, as the argument between Lily and Severus quickly escalated into a heated debate between the Gryffindors and Slytherins. Insults crossed the classroom, as Professor Slughorn endeavored to restore order.

James and Sirius took advantage of this momentary chaos to hold a private conversation in hushed tones.

"She called me by my first name, mate!" James prattled. "That's gotta count for something, right?"

"I think she outright complimented you, Prongs," Sirius said in a shocked tone. "That definitely counts for something."


End file.
